


Selcouth

by shinwonethereal



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, cute shinwon, mainly shinhongseok bcs this pair needs more appreciation, pure fluff, spreading the shinwon baby agenda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28252242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinwonethereal/pseuds/shinwonethereal
Summary: See, the thing is, Shinwon was never the 'baby' of the group.
Relationships: Ko Shinwon/Yang Hongseok
Kudos: 28
Collections: Constellations Fest for Pentagon





	Selcouth

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: shinwon gets babied by hongseok.

Maybe it has always been there - a hidden desire that kept burning at the pits of his core, subtle but growing the more Shinwon opted to ignore it, turning to an intense glow that burned every fiber of his being when the realization slowly dawned on him. It had shook the nerves in his body, goosebumps arising on the surface of his skin and it had increased into something too major, too big for him just to ignore.  
  
  
He'd denied it at first because, well, Shinwon is a man of denial and he'd very much prefer planting his face on the nearest wall than admit to something that the members would likely use against him.  
  
  
But denial is only good at first, when things are still considered minor and feelings are not too intense - Shinwon can easily act like it's not there, turning a blind eye to what he truly wants.  
  
  
See, the thing is, Shinwon was never the 'baby' of the group. If talking about Pentagon's baby, that would be Wooseok, no doubt. After all, despite his giant height and his relentless denial of being a baby _~~despite acting like one~~_ , he's still the youngest and it's not an unknown fact that every youngest in a group are babied. Yanan too is a valid answer; everyone's just whipped for the Chinese male.  
  
  
Not that Shinwon had any problem with that but he has always been filled with curiosity, his mind conjuring up thoughts of what ifs and whys, always letting a new question linger in his mind - which usually is a good thing, for his natural curiosity satisfies his incessant drive to learn new things, stepping out of the comforts where he's boxed himself in.  
  
  
"Do you like being babied?"  
  
  
The question rolls off his tongue easily, mind not catching up with his tongue that he wasn't able to stop himself before blurting it out. Shinwon's sitting cross legged on the small couch in Wooseok's studio, feeling impossibly smaller than he is and he hopes that his voice hadn't hinted anything, just casual and normal. He watches as their youngest tweaks and edits a section of a song, tapping his foot impatiently under the table, forehead scrunched as he goes back and forth which one sounds better.  
  
  
"Hyung, did you seriously come in here just to ask me that?" Wooseok laughs, looking over his shoulder for a brief second. "Is that a trick question?"  
  
  
"Nope, I came in here because I haven't seen you all day," Shinwon answers. "I've made sure you're still alive, so just answer my question Wooseokie then I'll leave."  
  
  
"You're weird, hyung."  
  
  
Shinwon just hums in affirmation at the statement. That he can't deny because he's the weird one for asking an unusual question for such an unusual and weirder thought - but, he's in the works of clarifying something, letting his curiosity get ahead of him once again.  
  
  
"I don't know, I've always been the youngest so I can't tell whether it's nice or not." Wooseok leans back on his chair, turning to face the older. One look at him and no one would guess at their first try that he is indeed, Pentagon's youngest - or _penjelbe_ , as Wooseok likes to phrase it. He has too much length in his body to be deemed as their group's baby but his soft personality makes up for it, anyways. "But for the record, everyone's extra softer and kinder to you, which is really nice, might I add. Everyone dotes on you and the hyungs doesn't easily get mad at me and a bit of acting cute here and there would get me out of trouble at once. It's funny and endearing at the same time, really."  
  
  
"I don't recall being extra kinder to you, kid."  
  
  
"You say that, but you're sitting in my studio, checking up on how I'm doing, that basically just proved my point." The younger laughs, sitting up and stretching his cramped muscles from sitting way too long. "I guess I'm just used to being taken care of at this point, so I guess I somewhat like it? It sucks being the youngest sometimes though, everyone kinda orders you around." Wooseok answers, narrowing his eyes at Shinwon.  
  
  
Shinwon holds his hands up in defense, "what? I never ordered you around?"  
  
  
Wooseok just shrugs him off, well, it's true though, he had never taken advantage of his older status because he felt that it was wrong to do so. If someone were to do it to him, he's sure he'd be annoyed so much. After a few minutes of giving the younger opinions on the new song he's creating, the older stands up, walking his way to the mirror near the door to check his appearance, raking a hand through his hair to fix its somewhat disheveled state.  
  
  
"Don't overwork yourself too much, Wooseokie. Text me if you need anything, hm? I'll get going."  
  
  
The sound of Wooseok yelling out a 'bye' catches his ears before the door fully closes and he's met with complete silence in the middle of the corridor, the sound of his steps creating a soft clunk against the wooded floor. It's late at night, most of the staffs had gone home since it's way past working hours and the lights are either dimmed out or completely closed and Shinwon pauses in front of the elevator, watching as the numbers go up to the floor he's in, blinking his eyes tight as if to shut off any signs of weariness.  
  
  
As far as he is concerned, Shinwon had never been...babied - despite being the youngest in his family because he's just....not keen about it. He'd never liked giving nor being the receiving end of affection, visibly cringing at any verbal signs of it. All the other members like to cling a lot, maybe with the exception of him and Yanan (though he's seen Yanan latching onto Hyunggu a lot these days so he's not so sure about that), keeping their hands and bodies to themselves while literally everyone around them is touching skin to skin and limb to limb.  
  
  
So it probably makes sense - the way his curiosity leads him to wondering how it feels like to be babied, to be held by another person and just be treated with so much love and care because looking back, he's never felt it. God, Shinwon shudders at the idea. Trying to rationalize his own thoughts in his mind makes him feel a bit ashamed of himself, not knowing what to do with the sudden curiosity he's having and he almost bumps his head against the cold metal of the elevator as if to wake himself up before it opens with a 'ding!' and Shinwon jumps in surprise, clutching his chest dramatically.  
  
  
When he steps inside the elevator and he catches a glimpse of himself on the metal walls, he lets out a big and unsatisfied sigh and wills his thoughts to go away. _It's better left unsaid_ , Shinwon thinks, _nothing good will come out of this anyway_.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The thought revisits him a week later when he's sitting down at the far end of their practice room, chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath from how long and hard they'd been practicing. Preparations for comeback season is nearing and they have to condition their bodies and minds with the coming sleepless nights and tiresome days, knowing fully well how busy they would be again.  
  
  
He hears Wooseok whine from across the room and he looks up, catching a glimpse of what's happening and as if a switch is turned on, a slightly unfamiliar feeling bubbles in his throat as he hugs his legs closer to his chest. There's some kind of sharpness in his eyes as he watches Jinho and Hwitaek doting on Wooseok, much like what loving parents would do, the other members laughing at a joke the youngest had said. Shinwon wasn't listening; he's trying to assess whether he's just curious or actually a teeny tiny jealous of the undivided attention they weren't giving him.  
  
  
The latter part seems to be winning, as he pinpoints the unfamiliar feeling as bitterness and actual jealousy and if Shinwon weren't struck with his own emotions, he'd actually laugh out loud from the ridiculousness of this whole situation.  
  
  
Him? Jealous? No way. That's so not Ko Shinwon. Maybe it's just the fatigue talking over his consciousness because there's no way he actually wants to be in Wooseok's position right now. _Babied_.

  
"You're glaring."  
  
  
Shinwon quickly shakes his head, as if waking up in a trance and he turns his head to see Hongseok staring down at him, a hand on his hip as the other holds his probably second iced coffee of the day. They make eye contact and Shinwon frowns at him, shrugging off his earlier statement.  
  
  
"I'm not."  
  
  
"Yes you were," Hongseok sits down on the floor across him, back facing the other members as he seems to examine Shinwon's face, forehead scrunched while he takes a closer look. Shinwon only raises a brow at this. "Are you lacking sleep? I told you to stop watching that show and sleep early last night, right?"  
  
  
"I'm always sleep deprived," Shinwon snorts. "Besides, I'm fine hyung, really. I was just thinking."  
  
  
Hongseok leaves it at that and shrugs, returning his attention back to his phone once again. Soon enough, their break had ended and they resumed practicing, pushing their bodies to the limit until one of them - Yanan - slumps his body on the floor out of tiredness, chest heaving and limbs too rusty to even move. Shinwon had chuckled at the sight of a sprawled out Yanan, but he makes a move to offer a hand to the younger and make him at least sit on one of the chairs in the room. Yanan had muttered out a thanks, giving him a weak smile and Shinwon strides across the practice room for his bag, wanting to change shirts as the sweat is making the fabric stick uncomfortably on his skin.  
  
  
"Ah really," He mutters under his breath, scourging through the rest of his stuff but his shirt is nowhere to be found. "I'm doomed."  
  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" There's a hand placed comfortingly on his shoulder, light and squeezing just a bit. "What is it this time?"  
  
  
"I think I forgot to bring an extra shirt," Shinwon scowls, fanning his shirt against his body. "And I'm so sweaty right now."  
  
  
Hongseok pats his shoulder, gives him a small smile, "I have an extra you can borrow, Shinwonie."  
  
  
Shinwon perks up at that. "That's a relief then, thank you Hongseok hyung." Then the older is handing him a black shirt, he's seen him worn it a few times in their dorm and it's relatively a bit huge for Hongseok, more so on Shinwon as he changes into it, the fabric hanging loosely on his smaller frame. He may be taller and have wider shoulders but Hongseok is _very_ muscular.  
  
  
There's a shit-eating grin plastered on Hongseok's face, "it's not like I haven't seen you wear my clothes before but," he reaches up, patting Shinwon's fluff of hair, "you look really cute in my clothes."

A week later and Shinwon is still very much confused.  
  
  
Whenever he sees the younger members get lovingly doted on by the older members, he feels a slight pang of jealousy, a flare of want hidden beneath him somewhere. He knows jealousy is wrong and really, he tries his best not to mind it that much - but then again, it's easier said than done and Shinwon is very, _very_ conflicted.  
  
  
He wants to experience it too. Just for once, to be loved, to be taken care of, to be pampered the way he thinks he deserves.  
  
  
And even if Shinwon didn't want to confirm it himself at first, curiosity fills his mind of how would it feel like being the baby of the group. How would it feel like having the members spoil and shower you with compliments and such, if it would feel as gratifying as it is in his imagination or would he perhaps hate all the attention, he doesn't know.  
  
  
Not that he's being selfish, okay.  
  
  
It's more of Shinwon likes being cared for, loves being loved and truth be told, he's a sucker for anything soft.  
  
  
He's been told multiple times that his physique and personal appearance doesn't really match to that of any cute descriptions (he's more on the handsome and chic side, as they say), to which Shinwon regretfully agrees with. What, with his broad shoulders, tall height, sharp features? Shinwon admits he cannot even act cute for his life's sake. So when he looks at Wooseok and Yanan, who both have this natural cuteness that makes you want to coddle them despite being taller than him, he feels a tiny bit sad.  
  
  
Just thinking about the members cuddling and babying him fills his heart with a strange feeling of comfort, one that he thinks he's not allowed to want.  
  
  
How could he possibly tell the members he likes being babied? Shinwon's certain it'd cause awkwardness between him and them and he'd really rather not cause any trouble. If saying it in his head makes him as uncomfortable as it is, who's to question that the members wouldn't be weirded out - or worse, be disgusted about it?  
  
  
So, Shinwon tries racking his brain for a solution, a way out of this whole fiasco because honestly, who would want to baby a damn 25 year old man?  
  
  
"Earth to Shinwon, hello," Hongseok waves a hand in front of his face. "Summoning Ko Shinwon, hello."  
  
  
"Oh," Shinwon snaps out of his daze and shifts, making eye contact with Hongseok and he musters out a smile, hopes it doesn't come out as a grimace. "I was just thinking."  
  
  
"You're thinking a lot these days, huh?"  
  
  
"That's because I have a brain, hyung."  
  
  
"Very funny," Hongseok says drily, flopping down on the living room couch, a place that Shinwon had claimed for some reason - he feels more at ease on the small couch than he is at his own room in the dorm. Though, now that Shinwon is looking back at it, he really should start sleeping in a proper bed soon - his back's starting to hurt.  
  
  
"Are you sick?" Hongseok asks moments later, turning his full body to Shinwon. His forehead is scrunched up in what Shinwon thinks is worry and curiosity and Shinwon almost blushes at the attention. "You're - I don't know, you seem... off these days. I'm a bit concerned."  
  
  
Shinwon clicks his tongue.  
  
  
Hongseok is easy to get along with, even back then when they've first met as trainees, with lanky bones and awkward smiles, acting all timid and shy. The older was charming, to say the least. His endearing smile and laid back attitude had eased Shinwon's awkward nerves and he'd warmed up to the older faster than he was expecting and soon enough, they started sharing a mutual affection towards each other. Shinwon liked how Hongseok can be so goofy and funny, riding along with his jokes and pranks on the members but also mature and serious when needed. After all, Hongseok is still one of the older members and he'd taken a liking into taking care of the younger members, sometimes even chastising Jinho and Hwitaek when the situation calls for him to step up.  
  
  
Well, it'd make sense asking Hongseok, right? Besides, he's older than Shinwon and also the youngest in their family - and, he knows Hongseok was babied a lot by his mom, he'd know what to say.  
  
  
"Hyung, do you like being babied?"  
  
  
Silence ensues and they both end up blinking at each other - Shinwon, out of embarrassment and Hongseok, out of confusion, "...all of a sudden?"  
  
  
"I'm just curious," Shinwon answers simply. If he's directing his discreet want of being taken care of - babied - on his curiosity, then that's on him.  
  
  
"Okay," Hongseok looks at him, apprehension apparent in his eyes but the older turns his phone off and places it face down on the table across them. "If it's my parents, I like it. I mean, I'm the youngest - they used to baby me a lot when my brother and I were younger, t'was fun." Fondness is evident within his voice and Shinwon unconsciously smiles at that, must've been nice. "It feels good to be taken care of, I guess. It's just that, you know, I like taking care more of others. I'm more likely to baby someone than to be babied, so there's that.. how about you?"  
  
  
"What about me?"  
  
  
"Do you like taking care of people or is it the other way around?"  
  
  
It doesn't help that Hongseok smells way too good, of mint and floral and summer all together and breathing in his scent is like a breath of fresh air in Shinwon's clouded mind. Hongseok's looking at him expectedly, like he knows something that he shouldn't, can see right through Shinwon's strange question and the small glint of uncertainty in Shinwon's eyes. Always the one to be too keen and observing. It's making Shinwon a nervous wreck, the way how Hongseok's looking at him right now.  
  
  
"I don't know how to take care of people," Shinwon comments, mumbling out the latter part, silently confessing and half hoping Hongseok doesn't hear it. "But I guess it's nice to be taken care of."  
  
  
"Do you perhaps," Hongseok asks, carefully, tiptoeing off the edges. "Want to be babied?"  
  
  
Shinwon's heart starts hammering in his chest and he gulps, tries not to let his voice waver as he repeats, "I'm just curious."  
  
  
"That doesn't answer my question though."  
  
  
"Is it wrong? To be curious of what it feels like to be... _babied_?"  
  
  
Hongseok shakes his head, "no, of course not. Why do you look so nervous, Shinwonie?"  
  
  
The wall suddenly looks far more interesting than Hongseok's intriguing stare, Shinwon supposes, fiddling with his fingers on his lap. "Don't you find this awkward? I'm not even the youngest in our group, nor am I cute - look, I just don't fit the criteria of baby material, ugh, why am I even explaining this?"  
  
  
"Hey, hey," Hongseok places a hand on the nape of his neck, gentle and reassuring, as if to soothe the younger's nerves and although Shinwon didn't want to show it, he visibly relaxes at the touch. "Stop freaking out, there's nothing wrong with it, hmm? Hyung can baby you if you want."  
  
  
"Oh my god stop saying it like that!"  
  
  
There was a small beat of silence before Hongseok snickers, "you know, Shinwon, you're being really cute right now, I like this side of you."  
  
  
"Stop making fun of me."  
  
  
"I was just stating the obvious?"  
  
  
Shinwon huffs. "I'm not cute."  
  
  
"Yeah and Wooseok's not tall," Hongseok muses, raising a brow when the other frowns at him. "What, I thought we're telling lies." Shinwon tries his best to glare, but the endearing smile on Hongseok's face makes it impossible to do so, instead, he crosses his arms and looks away, tries not to pout. "And technically, you're still younger than me Shinwonie, I can baby you all I want."  
  
  
Arguing with Hongseok has always been an endless loop, seeing as the two of them are both very stubborn and hates losing with a passion and Shinwon is tired from the emotional rollercoaster that transpired from having Hongseok know his hidden desire, so with red ears and blushing cheeks, Shinwon mumbles out a 'whatever' and buries himself deeper on the couch.  
  
  
If Hongseok had kissed his forehead softly later that night, with a soft whisper of, 'but really, if you'll let me, I'll be glad to baby you, bub." and if Shinwon had nodded, his whole face rosed aflame because of it, then that's on the two of them.  
  


* * *

  
  
Nothing much had changed, except for the fact that, Hongseok is taking it very seriously that Shinwon doesn't know how to act around him sometimes. Hongseok's really good at taking people, that he knows - but add it to his natural flirtiness and brazenness- God, help Shinwon and his poor heart.  
  
  
Shinwon is still trying to get used to all the attention and care Hongseok pours on him every single day, not that he's overwhelmed - well, maybe a bit - but he loves it. He thrives off of the way Hongseok would ask about his day, all cuddled up on the older's bed while said member plays with his hair, massaging his scalp when he tells Hongseok that he was particularly tired from practice that day. Or the little moments of skinship between them two that makes Shinwon feel at ease, the lingering touches and hugs surely do things to his heart. Hongseok takes care of him even since before, but now, with the newfound information he'd gotten from Shinwon, it's as if Hongseok has gotten a lot more attentive and caring and Shinwon is totally not complaining.

A familiar brown paper bag is being shoved into his face and Shinwon blinks, eyes bleary from fatigue that it took him a minute to register that it's Hongseok waving the bag to his face, "I bought you burger, eat up."  
  
  
From the way Shinwon's face lit up, Hongseok decided that braving the rain just to go to the younger's favorite burger chain was worth it, watching Shinwon take a sniff of it and sighing contentedly afterwards. He doesn't know what's with Shinwon's fascination with burgers (and anything unhealthy, really) and he remembers vehemently reminding Shinwon to lessen his intake of said food, but look at him now, buying it on his own will for the younger.  
  
  
Okay. Maybe he's always been a tad bit too soft for Shinwon. That he wouldn't admit out loud, of course.  
  
  
Sure, Shinwon has this cold, brooding look upon first impressions but Hongseok, over the years, has learned that the younger is anything but cold. He'd been nice enough to interact with Hongseok over small talks when he was still new to the company and despite knowing that the younger had still felt somewhat awkward interacting with him, he appreciates the effort done by Shinwon. After all, he's grown a soft spot for the younger all these years, so Hongseok volunteering to baby him wasn't really unforeseen on his part.  
  
  
"How come you only bought burger for Shinwon hyung?" Looking up from his phone, he sees Hyunggu walking to their direction across the practice room, a visible pout on his lips. "I'm hungry too."  
  
  
"Go and buy your own then," Hongseok snickers, eyes flitting to Shinwon whose cheeks are puffed up from munching his food. _Cute. Way too cute_. Hongseok will probably explode if he doesn't tear his eyes away from the sight. Or worse, reach out to Shinwon's cheeks and pinch them, his hands itching to do exactly so.  
  
  
Well, Hongseok could do exactly just that - Shinwon's not even an arm length away from him and if he shifts slightly, Hongseok can easily wrap his arms around the younger, caging him in his embrace like they are in the comforts of their bedroom back in the dorms.  
  
  
"You have something on your face."  
  
  
Shinwon looks up in the midst of his chewing, points at a particular part of his cheek, "here?"  
  
  
Hongseok shakes his head and reaches out, a thumb swiping away the remnants of the sauce off of Shinwon's face before he brings it past his lips, tongue licking it all off, "there, now it's gone."  
  
  
"What did you just do?" Shinwon's eyes almost bulges out of his head, looking at Hongseok as if he has just grown two heads. Shinwon looks around to see if the other members noticed it, thankfully, everyone is busy on their own worlds, "hyung!"  
  
  
Hongseok suppresses a giggle, "it's fun to tease you, baby."  
  
  
That's another thing, Hongseok had taken into calling him baby and it's making him feel like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any given time the more Hongseok addresses him that way. Truly, it's just a pet name and he shouldn't all be that affected by it, but god, he might as well melt into a goo of puddle every time Hongseok calls him that. His insides feel like melting but in a good way.  
  
  
Shinwon feels his whole face heating up, mumbling, "you're gonna be the death of me."  
  
  
In between their practice, Hongseok finds Shinwon draped to his back, arms wrapped around his waist, his head on Hongseok's shoulder as Hongseok twists his arm to tangle it on the younger's soft curls, laughing at Wooseok and Changgu's impromptu high note battle. Shinwon has to lean down due to the height difference, neck twisted uncomfortably due to the angle but none of them mind, especially when Hongseok feels Shinwon's breath hitting his neck and the rumble of his chest against his back from laughter.  
  
  
"Hyung," Shinwon mutters, voice soft and sleepy as he practically melts into Hongseok's side on their way back to the dorms, "you're so warm."  
  
  
"Am I? Do you want a cuddle later?"  
  
  
The younger hums lazily, a small smile on his lips, Hongseok nodding in agreement, "okay we'll do that later. Do you wanna watch a movie while we're at it?"  
  
  
"Yes please."  
  
  
They spent exactly the rest of the night like that, Shinwon's head on Hongseok's lap as the older alternates between playing with his hair and running a finger on his arm and on the dip of his spine, Shinwon chuckling in between from the light as feather touches on his skin. "Your skin's very soft, Shinwon. You're really like a baby, well, besides the height, but everything about you screams...baby. I don't know why you think you don't deserve to be babied, god, how many times have I said the word 'baby' in a sentence?"   
  
  
Shinwon had laughed at that, ends up nuzzling his face against the other's chest, "thanks, Hongseok hyung. I would've exploded if I hadn't told you."  
  
  
"Anything for you, bub."

Compliments aren't really Shinwon's strongest pursuit, either giving or receiving it as he's just a huge bundle of awkward nerves, to be honest. Though he's still weirdly uncomfortable with it, that doesn't mean he doesn't like receiving one.  
  
  
"You did so well earlier," Hongseok grins at him, cheeky and huge and a surge of pride blooms in his chest. "You sang Changgu's song so well."  
  
  
"Thank you, hyung," He mumbles out, voice uncharacteristically shy. If he'd acted like this with the other members, he's sure he'd receive questioning glances - but this is Hongseok who he's talking to, Hongseok who'll gladly take care of him and will not judge him despite how weird all of this seemed to be.  
  
  
"You know you looked so cute in that light blue shirt, made you look extra softer," Hongseok's leaning against the wall, watching as Shinwon stuffs his belongings back to his bag again. Well, Shinwon had been the last place in their impromptu competition that they shoot for a variety lab, and instead of being upset - he really just had a great time seeing the other members showcasing their own talents, especially Hongseok. Who knew Hongseok could rap like that, it surprised him as well. "Ugh, what to do with you baby, you're getting cuter and cuter every day, huh."  
  
  
"You're making fun of me.."  
  
  
"I'm not, Shinwon baby. Have you seen Hwitaek hyung's smile at you earlier? I just know we were both thinking the same thing, you looked so adorable during your performance and not to mention your voice, you make hyung so proud, Shinwonie."  
  
  
There's a slight tint of red at the tip of his ears and he shook his head, mumbling, "now you're just straight up lying."  
  
  
"Have I ever lied to you, huh?" Hongseok crosses his arms, trying to look stricter but if anyone asks Shinwon, he'd say he just looks like an angry chick and has anyone ever seen an intimidating angry chick?  
  
  
Hongseok moves and then all of a sudden, he's cupping Shinwon's face between his hands, tilting his head up to get a better look at the younger. A blush crept up his neck, filling his entire cheeks, "w-what are you doing?"  
  
  
"Have I mentioned you have soft cheeks? Like, really soft. Perfect to squish." And he does exactly that, squishes Shinwon's cheeks with his hands, making the atmosphere light and joyful - like everything else between Shinwon and Hongseok. Hongseok indulges himself on the giggles that Shinwon had let out, feeling himself grow impossibly softer for his huge baby in front of him.  
  
  
It's one of those days where Wooseok would ask if they can all eat dinner together as a group, and of course, as their maknae, his wishes are granted very easily especially if it's something as simple as just eating dinner together. Their manager had agreed in an instant and brought them to a nearby favorite local restaurant, heads hung low as they enter the place, trying not to gather too much attention from the other customers inside.  
  
  
"Isn't that Hongseok's hoodie?"  
  
  
"Hm?" The chair next to him is being pulled out and he looks up to see Hwitaek sitting down beside him, a small smile tugging at his lips. Glancing down at the gray hoodie he's currently wearing, Shinwon nods. Hongseok had given it to him before they left, saying that what Shinwon is wearing is too thin for the cold weather these days and bundled the younger up in his hoodie before leaving.  
  
  
"We literally have matching hoodies, Shinwon. Why are you not wearing yours? I wore mine today," Hwitaek playfully pouts, shoving his shoulder in a rather dramatic way. "How is it going to be a couple hoodie when I'm the only one wearing it?"  
  
  
"I wore mine last week, Hui hyung. It's in the laundry now, I can't possibly wear it while it's still wet, yeah?"  
  
  
"Fine," their leader grunts, despite reaching for his hand under the table, enclosing their hands together tightly. Hwitaek has a habit of holding Shinwon close to him whenever he sees the opportunity to do so, always grasping his fingers or leaning his head onto Shinwon's shoulders. He's used to it by now, the way Hwitaek's hands would always find its own way to entangle on his own that whenever they're sitting together and Hwitaek doesn't do it, he surprisingly finds it weird.  
  
  
Their food arrives not a bit later, right after Shinwon's stomach growled in hunger, with Hwitaek hearing it and laughing, giving his belly a pat. The whole group erupted in joy as their food are presented one by one and it's been so long since they all ate together like this and an overjoyed grin shows on Shinwon's face, the atmosphere making his heart full and content that he unconsciously squeezes Hwitaek's hand in his.  
  
  
"Ya, eat slowly," their leader says after watching Shinwon stuff his face full of noodles, reaching for a tissue before tipping Shinwon's head forward in his direction, wiping the traces of sauce on his lips. It reminded Shinwon of that one time with Hongseok, thankful that Hwitaek had opted to use a tissue before he straight up blushes. "Be careful or you'll choke."  
  
  
It isn't unheard of, but Hwitaek's feeding him today more than usual, offering him bits of food and bringing it to his mouth, an adorable smile etched on his face as he does so. He happily receives it, not having the heart to refuse his Hwitaek hyung and besides, he likes the attention enough to entertain what the older is up to.  
  
  
"You haven't been coming to my studio these days," their leader utters, gaze only focused on Shinwon. "I've been wanting to work on this one song with you."  
  
  
Shinwon perks up at that, "you should've told me, Hwitaek hyung! I like working with you, you know that."  
  
  
"But you've been spending a lot of your free time with Hongseok, right Wonie?"  
  
  
Oh. He was right about that. Maybe they weren't really being very discreet the way they think they are because if Hwitaek had noticed it out of all people, then that's saying something. God, how would he explain that Hongseok's been spending his time with Shinwon just because he likes to be babied and the older is indulging that desire of him and - ugh, he should've asked Hongseok to sit beside him, at least he could help him come up with a decent excuse.  
  
  
But then again, this is his Hwitaek hyung, the hyung he's been closest to all these years, the one where he felt the most comfortable with since day one. He'd have to explain it to him later if he finds the right time to do so.  
  
  
"Spend time with me. Hyung misses you, you know." Then he's stroking the back of Shinwon's neck, getting a shudder out of Shinwon and his body relaxes against his touch, his hand moving to stroke his hair.  
  
  
Turning bashful from the statement, he shyly nods, leaning onto Hwitaek's touch, earning him a rumble of laughter from the older. He felt loved and important and adored, knowing that Hwitaek missed him and had noticed his absence - he's lying if he says he wasn't touched nor affected by it. The heat rising from his cheeks were more noticeable than he'd wanted it to be and he doesn't really know the reason why Hwitaek is particularly attached to him during their group dinner, but well, he isn't really complaining.  
  


  
  
There's a light series of knocks that tore Hongseok's attention away from the movie he's watching, taking off an earbud and pausing the movie on the screen. When he hears nothing again, he almost goes back to the movie he's watching until he hears a faint but familiar 'Hongseokie hyung' at the opposite end of the door and Hongseok scrambles to his feet to open the door, throwing the sheets off of him behind.  
  
  
"Oh Shinwonie," he coos at the sight, opening the door wider to let the younger in. He's wrapped in his comforter, the edges dangling to the floor while Shinwon holds it close around his head, only his whole face appearing and Hongseok can see a part of his tiny hands gripped tightly at the fabric to keep them from falling and his heart positively wrenches. _Cute cute cute cute omg-_  
  
  
"Were you doing something?" The taller of the two asks, voice small in contrast to his height and Hongseok has to hold himself back in order not to reach for Shinwon and coddle him because god, he has a reputation to uphold. _Self-control, always, self-control Hongseok. Get a grip._  
  
  
He shakes his head, his hand snaking underneath the comforter where Shinwon's wrapped himself in and holds his hand, "your hand's so cold, baby. Want me to warm you up? Did you need something?"  
  
  
"Couldn't sleep," and a small pout forms on the younger's lips and Hongseok has to look away, clearing his throat and leading him to his own bed. He'd thought the younger was already fast asleep when he'd left for the gym earlier, turns out - judging from the tiredness in his eyes - that Shinwon has been awake all these hours.  
  
  
Scooting closer to the wall and adjusting the pillows beneath his head, Hongseok taps the space beside him, propping his head on one arm as he looks up at Shinwon and wiggles his eyebrow suggestively, "come here, baby."  
  
  
"I will punch you." He replies weakly but there's humor behind Shinwon's tone, though he climbs on the bed and settles beside Hongseok, which is proven difficult, especially for their sizes as the beds in the dorms are only meant to accomodate one Hongseok sized person whereas Shinwon even has to fold his legs just to fit on it. So with them beside each other on such a small space, just imagine all folded and tangled limbs, Shinwon's elbow poking Hongseok's side and there's a knee digging on Shinwon's thigh but still somehow, the two made it work.  
  
  
Hongseok has an arm laid underneath his neck, Shinwon's head resting on Hongseok's clavicle as the older pulls him impossibly closer to his warmth, Shinwon's body going boneless in Hongseok's hold. "Is something bothering you? That's why you couldn't sleep?"  
  
  
"No, I'm fine hyung. It's just really cold," Shinwon admits sheepishly, earning him a laugh from the older.  
  
  
"You came in here for cuddles?"  
  
  
He feels him nod and if Hongseok's chest wasn't bursting with softness a while ago, it is now. If he didn't knew he had a thing for adorable men who's at least a head taller and a year younger than him, specifically one named Ko Shinwon, he's painfully aware now. Hongseok asks Shinwon if he wants to watch a movie with him, something they'd been doing a lot, while waiting for his sleepiness to kick in and when he feels him nod yet again, Hongseok reaches for his phone, nuzzling his face playfully onto Shinwon's hair, making the younger whine. Hongseok plays the movie on his phone again, it's another Marvel one that Hongseok has seen for countless of times but he loves it so much to stop. He holds the phone on one hand, angling it so Shinwon can watch as well, while the other arm underneath his neck reaches for Shinwon's fluff of hair and cards his fingers through the soft strands of wavy hair, Shinwon shuddering at the feeling.  
  
  
Shinwon lets out a hum of satisfaction, eyes closing involuntarily from the feel of Hongseok's fingers lightly digging on his scalp. Shinwon wasn't meaning to do it, but his body relaxes into Hongseok's hold, all the tension leaving his bones as his muscles go lax, practically molding himself in his embrace. Sighing, he ends up nuzzling his cheek on Hongseok's chest.  
  
  
He hears him whisper, "Hongseokie hyung, you're so warm. I can cuddle you all day."  
  
  
"You're welcome in my arms always, Shinwonie."  
  
  
"That's so cheesy, stop it hyung." Shinwon utters weakly, a small smile spread on his face. Timing his breath with Hongseok's, his chest rises and falls steadily, making him feel at peace. The feeling of Hongseok playing with his hair finally lulls him to sleep, his eyes becoming droopy as he tries to focus on the movie playing.  
  
  
Shinwon ends up falling asleep on Hongseok's chest that night.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Hiding such a thing between two members whilst living with them has been proven difficult, and it didn't took very long for everyone to find out what was going on between Hongseok and Shinwon. Well, in hindsight, they weren't really being too lowkey about it and as much as Shinwon loves garnering attention from others, he feels too much on spot right now that he has resulted to hiding his face behind his hands the more the conversation continues around him. Hongseok's got an arm around his shoulders protectively  
  
  
"Shinwon hyung, you should've told me, I want to try babying you too!" Wooseok enthusiastically exclaims, leaning forward to touch his arm and Shinwon's face heats even more, snuggling closer to Hongseok's side.   
  
  
"Wooseok-ah," Jinho sighs. "You wanting to take care of Shinwon is just like a baby trying to take care of another baby, I don't think it's gonna work."  
  
  
"I'm not a baby," their youngest argues, pout evident in his voice, much to everyone's amusement because they know that Wooseok saying he's not a baby is a lie. They hear Changgu snickering, "you call yourself penjelbe, Wooseokie."  
  
  
"Technically, I am right," Wooseok stands up, hands flailing wildly as he tries to explain himself to their grinning members. "I'm penjelbe because I really am, I'm the youngest here. But, I'm not a baby - anymore, get it?"  
  
  
"Yeah, whatever Wooseok." Hyunggu's attempt at not laughing clearly fails. Hiding behind his hand, he whispers and only Shinwon had heard it since he's sitting near his foot on the floor, "you still act like one, though."  
  
  
Shinwon feels himself exhale in relief, the tiny bit of fear from having the members find out about his not-so-secret is finally gone, replaced instead with a weird sense of calmness as he lays his head on Hongseok's shoulder, hair tickling the crook of the older's neck. He settles his sweater paws on his thighs, letting himself relax against the rumble of laughter surrounding them.  
  
  
Later on, the occupants of Dorm B had to leave already seeing as they still have schedules the next day, but not without each of them showing affection to Shinwon to the point that it drove him to the peak of embarrassment from being treated like that in front of the members. After having both Yuto and Wooseok engulf him in a huge hug, swaying him back and forth, Changgu had settled on cupping his face in between his hands, voicing out a stretched out 'hyung~' as he does so. Yanan had settled on comfortingly squeezing his arm, giving him a pat on the cheek as he smiles up at him and Jinho, well Shinwon thought he'll do nothing, just say a simple goodbye and that's it. But Jinho pulls him down, standing on his tiptoes when he kisses the crown of Shinwon's head and ruffling his hair afterwards that the younger had let out a meek whine, feeling himself blush all the way from his toes to his cheeks.  
  
  
"Shinwon hyung," Hyunggu giggles. "You're so red, you look like you're gonna explode!"  
  
  
"I'm so embarrassed, not gonna lie," Shinwon facepalms, rubbing his face in the process as if to pull himself together. "I'm not used to this."  
  
  
"You're so cute like this, Shinwonie hyung. Didn't knew you have a side like this one," Hyunggu comments, opening his arms to hug Shinwon because he couldn't help but hug him. His voice is a muffled whisper against Shinwon's ears, "I'd love to baby you too soon but Hongseok hyung's jealous, me thinks. Don't tell him I said that." And when he pulls away, he gives Shinwon a playful wink, a bounce in his steps when Hyunggu heads back to his own room.  
  
  
This piqued Shinwon's interest as he turns to look back at Hongseok, his arms crossed and looking directly at the wall, pouting and glaring. Shinwon would coo at the sight but he feels a feather like touch on his arm, Hwitaek grinning up at him and then the arm that Hongseok has snaked around his waist tightens, pulling him closer to the older vocalist. Hwitaek scowls at that.  
  
  
"Ya, I started babying Shinwon since we were trainees," their leader argues, narrowing his eyes at Hongseok. _Is this really happening_. "I've been taking care of Shinwonie ever since, right Wonie?"  
  
  
" _Wonie_?" Hongseok repeats the nickname, mild distaste evident in his tone and he levels Hwitaek's stare with an equally intense one, raising his brow at the older. "Shinwon baby,"  
  
  
"Oh my god, stop," Shinwon manages to voice out, looking back and forth between the two. Not gonna lie, he's a bit flattered and flustered over Hwitaek and Hongseok fighting over him - but that'd be an inappropriate matter for him to become something he's overjoyed at, so, he hides it, biting back a huge grin from appearing on his face.

* * *

  
Shinwon's eyes are trained on the ceiling as he feels an arm snake around his lithe waist, pulling his body closer to a source of warmth and he lets himself be handled gently, soft chuckles leaving his mouth as the person on his other side groans near his ear, tugging on his arm when he feels Shinwon being pulled away. It's a bit crowded, limbs tangled with one another, the space too little for Shinwon to fully stretch his body and there's hands touching the surface of his skin all over - in theory, it's a bit unconventional and sounds uncomfortable but Shinwon thinks otherwise - he wouldn't trade any of this for the world.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hello! if you made it up until here, thank you so much for reading and i hope you enjoyed this ♡♡
> 
> \- this is my first time joining a fic fest and I'm both thrilled and nervous bcs DJSKWJS i hope the prompter is satisfied/happy with how this turned out!  
> \- btw i chose this prompt bcs shinwon baby??????????? y es please it's a concept we need to talk about more he's just babie  
> \- please let me know what you think in the comments! i highly appreciate comments i see on my works <33 
> 
> wishing y'all a merry christmas and a happy new year! ♡


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